Question

In what ways was Realism in the mid-nineteenth century a response to changing social and economic conditions? Select all that apply. (2 choices!)
A.Realist writers sought to expose the grim lives of urban factory workers.
B.The work of Realist writers and artists highlighted the unsavory impact of industrialism on poor people.
C.Realist artists and writers celebrated the vast improvement in the living standards of the expanding middle class.
D.The decline in economic opportunities for entrepreneurs and small factory owners was reflected in the stories of Realist writers.

Answer 1

A and B are the correct choices. Realism focused on showing society as it was and often the grittiest parts of society became the focal point. The realist were often middle class and aware of the conditions created by industrialization. Tenement homes, unclean water, unsafe working conditions, and the lives of the poor became the characters of realist's writing, artwork, and eventually photography. Writers like Charles Dickens highlighted the plight of the poor under the new industrial economy. Jacob Riis will breakthrough using photographic technology to demonstrate the ills of industrialization and showcase his work to the upper classes. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle proved the factories were unsafe and in the case of food production unsanitary. Many of the realists would create such a buzz about their work that governments would eventually begin reform at the end of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century.